Quenneville Wins First Asphalt Modified Championship at Devil’s Bowl Speedway
Late Model champion Masterson wins 100-lap finale; Gordon and LaVair crowned
WEST HAVEN, VT – The stars aligned for Vince Quenneville Jr. at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday night, September 19, and the popular veteran stock car driver finally wrapped up his first championship on the asphalt half-mile oval. Quenneville finished first and second in a pair of 50-lap races for the Bond Auto Parts Modified division, and came from behind to win his first title in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series presented by Yandow Sales & Service and John Deere.
The Brandon, VT racer dominated the opening race at the Mekkelsen RV Vermont 200 Championship event, leading all but the first three laps. Ron Proctor entered the event as the point leader after a summer-long battle with Quenneville, but was prematurely eliminated from contention in a crash on lap 5. From there Quenneville drove a steady race and sailed to his fifth of the season at Devil’s Bowl.
Todd Stone finished second after an impressive drive from 17th starting position, followed by Jimmy Ryan. Kenny Tremont Jr. finished fourth in his first asphalt race of the year, with Joey Roberts fifth.
The second 50-lap race was marked by both triumph and tragedy. Leon Gonyo of Chazy, NY ran to a dominant win, leading the final 39 circuits and crossing the finish line ahead of Quenneville with a half-lap advantage. Gonyo’s celebration was short, though, as he suffered a medical emergency during his victory lap and passed away shortly after despite a concentrated effort by Fair Haven Rescue, track safety workers, and many volunteers. (A full statement on the incident is available at www.DevilsBowlSpeedwayVT.com.)
Quenneville finished second in the race with Stone third. Hometown racer Billy Lussier led eight laps early and finished a strong fourth, with Proctor rebounding for fifth place. Quenneville’s runner-up finish gave him 16 top-five finishes in 17 starts and was enough to outdistance Proctor by 34 points for his first asphalt track championship; he had previously won the Devil’s Bowl title in 2003 on the former half-mile clay surface. Bob Kilburn of Fair Haven, VT was named the Rookie of the Year.
Josh Masterson of Bristol, VT put the exclamation point on a solid campaign in the Central Vermont Motorcycles Late Model division by winning the 100-lap finale. As Steve Miller and Rich Lowrey Jr. waged an entertaining battle for the lead, Masterson remained solid.
He grabbed the lead from Miller at lap 71, then survived the race’s seventh and final restart three laps later to take his fourth victory of the season and his first Late Model championship. Lowrey finished a season-best second, followed by Chris Bergeron. Bobby Therrien ran fourth, and Miller faded back to fifth place. Robert Bryant Jr. finished second in the standings, and Richard Lowrey III won the Rookie of the Year title.
Richie Turner of Fairfax, VT ended his season the same way it started in the Brileya’s Chrysler-Jeep Renegade division by winning the 50-lap finale. The former Devil’s Bowl champion has made only sporadic appearances recently, but dominated the race to bookend the year in victory lane.
Robert Gordon of Milton, VT finished second in the race and clinched the championship – his third title in the last four years. Shawn Duquette finished third followed by teenagers Michael Wright and Dylan Rabtoy. Scott FitzGerald finished as the championship runner-up, and Matt Monaghan took Rookie of the Year honors.
Chris LaVair of Gabriels, NY capped an incredible season in the Portland Glass Mini Stocks by winning the two-segment finale. LaVair swept both 15-lap legs of race for his sixth victory of the year and clinched his first Devil’s Bowl championship. He accomplished the same at Airborne Park Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY, winning six times and taking the overall title.
Dale O’Neil was the runner-up in the race, followed Harold LaVair, Chris’ father. Bradley Bertrand finished fourth to wrap up his Rookie of the Year campaign, and championship runner-up Chuck Bradford finished fifth in the race.
Out of respect to the emergency with Leon Gonyo, a 50-lap race for the MFT Sauce & Rub Co. Enduro Series, which was scheduled to end the event program following the second Modified race, was postponed until Sunday, October 4.
With the asphalt NASCAR season now finished, Devil’s Bowl Speedway turns its attention to The Dirt Track for the next two weeks. The inaugural “Green Mountain Sprint Car Nationals” presented by Fabian Earth Moving and Coastal 181 Publishing will run on Saturday, September 26 at 6:00 p.m. The event features the largest Sprint Car purse ever posted in Vermont and brings together the Empire Super Sprints and Sprint Cars of New England tours for the first time ever.
A non-points event for the Sportsman Modified division will be on the card, along with point-counting races for the Renegades and Mini Stocks. General admission is $20 for adults and free for kids age 12 and under. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. with racing at 6:00 p.m.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, VT, four miles north of Exit 2 on U.S. Route 4. For more information, visit www.DevilsBowlSpeedwayVT.com or call (802) 265-3112. Devil’s Bowl Speedway is on Facebook at facebook.com/DevilsBowlSpeedway and on Twitter and Instagram at @DevilsBowlSpeed; follow the action using the #DevilsBowl hashtag.
OFFICIAL RESULTS – Mekkelsen RV Vermont 200 Championship Finale
Devil’s Bowl Speedway, West Haven, VT
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series presented by Yandow Sales & Service and John Deere
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Bond Auto Parts Modified Feature #1 (50 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (5) Vince Quenneville Jr., Brandon, VT
2. (17) Todd Stone, Middlebury, VT
3. (3) Jimmy Ryan, Whiting, VT
4. (12) Kenny Tremont Jr., West Sand Lake, NY
5. (7) Joey Roberts, Fletcher, VT
6. (13) Leon Gonyo, Chazy, NY
7. (11) Codie Aubin, Plattsburgh, NY
8. (4) Greg Atkins, Clintonville, NY
9. (8) # Jamy Begor, Mooers Forks, NY
10. (9) Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, VT
11. (2) # Bob Kilburn, Fair Haven, VT
12. (10) Jason Furman, Ballston Spa, NY
13. (14) Rico Hernandez, Plattsburgh, NY
14. (15) Cameron Grady, Wilmington, NY
15. (1) Dave Snow, Brandon, VT
16. (16) Speedy Bresette, Plattsburgh, NY
17. (6) Ron Proctor, Charlton, NY
Did Not Start: Jason Durgan; Jamie LaFountain
Last-Chance Qualifier Winner: Billy Lussier
Shiley Fabrication Hard Charger Award: Todd Stone
Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award: Ron Proctor
Bond Auto Parts Modified Feature #2 (50 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (7) Leon Gonyo, Chazy, NY
2. (12) Vince Quenneville Jr., Brandon, VT
3. (11) Todd Stone, Middlebury, VT
4. (3) Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, VT
5. (14) Ron Proctor, Charlton, NY
6. (6) Codie Aubin, Plattsburgh, NY
7. (5) Greg Atkins, Clintonville, NY
8. (8) Joey Roberts, Fletcher, VT
9. (9) Kenny Tremont Jr., West Sand Lake, NY
10. (4) # Jamy Begor, Mooers Forks, NY
11. (2) # Bob Kilburn, Fair Haven, VT
12. (1) Jason Furman, Ballston Spa, NY
13. (10) Jimmy Ryan, Whiting, VT
14. (16) Rico Hernandez, Plattsburgh, NY
15. (15) Speedy Bresette, Plattsburgh, NY
16. (13) Dave Snow, Brandon, VT
17. (17) Cameron Grady, Wilmington, NY
Shiley Fabrication Hard Charger Award: Vince Quenneville, Jr.
Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award: Jason Furman
Central Vermont Motorcycles Late Model Feature (100 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (8) Josh Masterson, Bristol, VT
2. (4) Rich Lowrey Jr., Charlotte, VT
3. (3) Chris Bergeron, Claremont, NH
4. (13) Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg, VT
5. (2) Steve Miller, Vergennes, VT
6. (9) Jamie Aube, North Ferrisburgh, VT
7. (14) # Richard Lowrey III, Charlotte, VT
8. (1) Walter J. Hammond, Canaan, NH
9. (10) Jamie Fisher, Shelburne, VT
10. (16) Dave Whitcomb, Essex Junction, VT
11. (6) Robert Bryant Jr., Brooklyn, CT
12. (7) Todd Stone, Middlebury, VT
13. (11) Trampas Demers, South Burlington, VT
14. (3) Seth Bridge, Mendon, VT
15. (12) Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton, VT
16. (15) Todd Davis, Claremont, NH
Heat Winners: Josh Masterson; Chris Bergeron
Consi Winner: Jamie Fisher
Crazy Horse Racing Winners Circle Challenge: Josh Masterson
Brileya’s Chrysler-Jeep Renegade Feature (50 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (6) Richie Turner, Fairfax, VT
2. (9) Robert Gordon, Milton, VT
3. (7) Shawn Duquette, Morrisonville, NY
4. (8) # Michael Wright, Alburgh, VT
5. (5) Dylan Rabtoy, Swanton, VT
6. (3) # Matt Monaghan, Colchester, VT
7. (4) Scott FitzGerald, West Rutland, VT
8. (2) Jared Blake, North Hero, VT
9. (1) # Tony Salerno, Mineville, NY
Did Not Start: Randy Howard; Tony Putzier
Bond Auto Parts Hard Charger Award: Robert Gordon
Portland Glass Mini Stock Feature (15 laps x 2)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (7) Chris LaVair, Gabriels, NY
2. (9) Dale O’Neil, Mooers, NY
3. (3) Harold LaVair Jr., Gabriels, NY
4. (4) # Bradley Bertrand, Ferrisburgh, VT
5. (10) Chuck Bradford, Addison, VT
6. (2) Andrew FitzGerald, West Rutland, VT
7. (5) Kyle Sorensen, Ballston Spa, NY
8. (6) John McCarron, Rensselaer, NY
9. (1) # Tanner Crary, Saranac Lake, NY
10. (8) Cooper Bouchard, Hinesburg, VT
Did Not Start: Dan Collins
Segment Winners: Chris LaVair (2)
Bond Auto Parts Hard Charger Award: Dale O’Neil